


Shake It Out

by Suituuup



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, Self-Harm, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 14:59:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16042811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suituuup/pseuds/Suituuup
Summary: Beca knows Chloe used to self-harm, and helps her girlfriend through a hard time. Est BechloeFrom a prompt requested on Tumblr.





	Shake It Out

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions and (one) scene of self-harm, read at your own risk.

Over the year they have been dating, Beca prides herself in assuming she knows Chloe like the back of her hand. She knows every little detail about her girlfriend. Knows when she is about make a joke, or kiss her, or when she’s ticked off.

She knows the redhead is undeniably happy when she has that twinkle in her eye. She knows that same eye twitches when she’s frustrated. She knows Chloe’s obsessions and pet peeves and has learned to love all of them.

So naturally, Beca also knows when Chloe is not okay.

The Worlds are getting closer and Chloe is nervous. But not about the Worlds, that much Beca knows. Chloe’s stressed about _after_ the Worlds, mostly because she doesn’t know how to be more than a Barden Bella.

The Barden Bellas have been Chloe’s life for the last seven years. She has purposefully -she never admitted it, but Beca knows her girlfriend is far from dumb- failed Russian Lit three times to stay at Barden longer. Barden and the Bellas became her safe place, the cocoon shielding her from the harsh realities of becoming an adult and the responsibilities that come with it.

Chloe, the overly confident girl who burst into her shower on Beca’s second day of college is a lot more self-conscious and insecure than she lets on. And Beca, well, she is the only one who can see right through her façade, because she’s the only one Chloe allows to.

And for the last few weeks, Chloe has been smiling and laughing and pretending she is absolutely fine whenever the other Bellas are around. But in the intimacy of her bedroom -where Beca now spends most nights-, that shield is cracked open in different places by smothering anxiety. Those cracks allow Beca to have a glimpse at Chloe’s past and present demons.

So Beca worries. She worries because she knows what Chloe is capable of, even though she hasn’t done it in years. She knows Chloe is capable of hurting herself to fight those demons and it makes Beca sick to her stomach.

The first time she saw the marks was so dreadful that Beca remembers it with clear details. It was right after their first night together -a night she would also always remember for a much better reason-, right after they had both come down from their bliss. As Chloe lifted her hand to push her hair back, Beca’s eye caught the tally-like marks marring the inside of her forearm. The straightness and precision of the faded white lines left little doubt to their origin.

“Chloe,” Beca had said, eyes widening ever so slightly as she tried to digest the shock still coursing through her. She had grabbed Chloe’s wrist to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, and Chloe had pulled away after following her line of sight.

“It’s nothing.” Chloe muttered, in such a natural way that Beca could tell she had said it many times. She cast her eyes down, keeping her arm out of reach of Beca’s gaze and touch.

“Hey,” Beca whispered softly into the dim-lit room, hand drifting up to hold Chloe’s jaw gently, coaxing her girlfriend into looking at her. “It’s not nothing. Do you… want to talk about it?”

Beca briefly wondered how she had never seen them before. She and Chloe were very close even before they got together, and Beca had seen the redhead in short sleeves countless times, but Chloe was obviously very thorough in hiding them.

“I don’t do it anymore,” Chloe said quietly, her voice barely audible over the chaos unleashing inside Beca’s brain.

Why would Chloe do this to herself?

How long had she done if for?

It felt astonishing to Beca to think that her beautiful, bright and caring girlfriend had once gotten to such a low point in her life that her only option to escape was to hurt herself.

“I used to do it in high school because I was bullied and lonely. My anxiety was eating me up and the only way I could find relief was by hurting myself,” Chloe’s voice wavered, and Beca tightened her hold on the redhead, rubbing soothing circles along Chloe’s bare back. “At first it was scratching or hitting but soon it wasn’t enough anymore. The pain was the only way to make the voices inside my head stop.”

Beca’s head had started to dangerously swim. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts and ask the appropriate questions without backing Chloe up in a corner.

“How long,” Beca interrupted herself to swallow the heavy lump clogging her throat. “How long did it last?”

“Most of high school,” Chloe replied as tears began to flood Beca’s eyes “When I started college, I found a purpose with the Bellas and it made my insecurities and anxiety go away.”

Beca had remained silent for a minute, trying to deal with the information without letting it be seen on her face that it made her sick. The mere thought of Chloe doing this to herself for so long was unbearable to the brunette.

“Are you freaked out?” Chloe had asked eventually, lifting her head from Beca’s shoulder. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, holding a great amount of sadness and resignation that made Beca’s heart feel particularly heavy.

“ _What?_ ” Beca hastily let out, eyebrows knitting in confusion. “No, I’m not freaked out,” she sat up at the same time as Chloe, afraid that the redhead might bolt and believe Beca didn’t want her anymore.

“You went through some heavy stuff, but that doesn’t make you a freak,” she murmured, capturing Chloe’s lips in a brief kiss to mark her words. She felt the tears dropping onto her chest as Chloe moved closer, seeking comfort. “You are a beautiful human being, and I love you. As a whole. You don’t have to be ashamed of your scars. Not around me, not around any of our friends.”

“And in the future,” She resumed, briefly resting her lips against Chloe’s forehead. “If you ever, _ever_ feel like you need to do it again, please know that I’m here for you, okay? I’m here for you anytime, anyplace, in person or over the phone.”

It was unbeknownst to Beca if she and Chloe were bound to stay together long, or forever, but she knew that the redhead, regardless of their relationship status, would always hold a great piece of her heart.

Beca blinks back to the present, watching Chloe smile to one of Stacie’s comment during movie night. Watching that smile not quite reach her eyes.

“You would tell me if you weren’t okay, right?” Beca finally finds the courage to ask a few moments later once they have retreated to Chloe’s room for the night. She watches closely for any reaction from Chloe, afraid her girlfriend might shut off altogether.

Chloe pulls a T-shirt over her head and nods, coming to sit on the middle of the bed, next to Beca. Beca cups her cheek, attempting to lock onto Chloe’s fleeing gaze. Eventually, Beca sighs, shaking her head slightly. “You’re not okay, Chlo.”

The statement seems to open a dam of emotions Chloe has tried to fortify over the last few weeks. A lone tear streaks down Chloe’s cheeks but she catches it with her thumbs before it can topple past her chin. She inhales sharply and chances a faint smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m fine, just a little stressed out.”

Beca shuffles closer, and Chloe somehow ends up in her lap, snuggled against Beca’s chest.

“I know leaving Barden is scary,” Beca starts, nuzzling Chloe’s hair as her fingers drift up and down Chloe’s bare arm, goosebumps rising in their wake. “It’s been your home for seven years. The Bellas have been your family for seven years. But it’s not like we’ll fall out of touch, we’re always going to be family. I know for a fact that I intend to keep you as my girlfriend once we all graduate.”

Chloe’s giggle manages to mend a piece of Beca’s heart, and she feels Chloe’s silent agreement against her skin as the redhead presses a kiss to her neck.

“And that stands for the other girls too. Well, not the girlfriend part, ‘cause I’m not sharing you with anyone but, you’re the heart of the group, Chlo. Your determination, kindness and unwavering enthusiasm is literally what will drive us to win the Worlds. And those qualities are also what will drive _you_ to success. In whatever field you choose. At whatever scale you want.”

“I love you,” Chloe murmurs, hand coming up to rest on the side of Beca’s neck. She gives it a slight tug and meets Beca’s lips in the middle for a slow, languid kiss that throws a handful of butterflies in Beca’s belly. “I love you so much, Bec.”

“I love you, too,” Beca whispers back, rubbing her nose against Chloe’s, before kissing her again. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of kissing Chloe. “And I’m so, _so_ grateful you burst into my shower that day. Even though I probably wasn’t thinking that at the time. You grew on me, Beale. Enough that I can’t imagine my life without you.”

/

They graduate a few days later.

They win the Worlds.

Beca gets a job in New York after graduation. She and Chloe find an affordable studio in Brooklyn, located not far from Beca’s work.

Beca can’t say that it wasn’t scary, moving in with Chloe. It suddenly felt very adult-y and was a big step in their relationship. But the couple quickly adjusted to being on their own and it felt nice to be just the two of them after living three years in a house shared by eight women.

Beca’s schedule gets hectic very quickly. So hectic that she’s barely at home, while Chloe spends most of her days in the apartment, either to get the rest of their stuff organized or do some job hunting online.

“Hi,” Beca whispers into Chloe’s ear, wrapping her arms loosely around Chloe’s waist as she molds herself against Chloe’s back. It’s one of those rare days where she’s home at a respectable hour. Chloe is cooking dinner in the modest kitchen of their one-bedroom apartment. “Smells good.”

“Me or the food?” Chloe asks, turning her head slightly. Beca takes the opportunity to kiss her hello.

She’s been wanting to do that all day.  

The brunette hums, dipping her head for another brief kiss. “Both.”

Chloe smiles and leans back into Beca’s embrace. “Thanks babe.”

“How did job hunting go?”

She feels Chloe go rigid in her arms and winces internally. “I didn’t do any.”

Beca knows it’s a sensitive subject, but she wants to show Chloe she supports her. She powers through, coaxing Chloe to turn in her arms, and reaching over to push Chloe’s hair away from her face.  

“Maybe we can do some brainstorming tonight. See the options you have with your degree and take an appointment with an advisor who can guide you.”

“Not tonight, Bec,” Chloe murmurs quietly, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead. “I’m tired.”

“Okay…” Beca trails off, shoulders slumping. She can’t keep from frowning though, and Chloe raises an eyebrow, pulling away from Beca to cross her arms over her chest with a frown of her own.

“What is _that_ look supposed to mean?”

A sigh escapes Beca’s lips before she can stop it. “I just thought getting a job was the priority when we settled here. Not that we can’t go on with just my salary but-”

Chloe gasps, jaw dropping as she squirms out of Beca’s hold. “Sure, rub it in how you’re successful right after college, why don’t you?”

“What?” Beca lets out in confusion, dropping her hands back to her sides. “That’s not what I meant, Chloe.”

“Right. As if it wasn’t a big deal that you got a contract with a big production label right before you even graduated.”

Beca tries not to take Chloe’s cold tone too personally, but it still stings.

“Is it some kind of contest?” Beca asks, crossing her arms over her chest as she tries to reign in the anger bubbling inside her chest. “Who’s going to be the most successful out of the two of us?”

“No, Beca,” Chloe bites out, gritting her teeth. Beca feels her insides freeze over from the cold look Chloe gives her. “For that I would have to have a fucking clue what to do with my life.”

Beca watches her walk away, and a second later, the door to their bedroom slams. Beca stagers back against the counter, letting out a groan as she drops her head to her hands.

She eats on her own, and Chloe is already sleeping when she gets to bed.

So much for a romantic night in.

/

Beca goes to LA for a week a few days later. It’s a lifetime opportunity as she’ll be able to play in front of a lot of artists she has always admired.

When she asks Chloe if she wants to come, Chloe declines with an apology, stating she has a couple interviews she can’t miss that week.

Beca isn’t sure this is the truth, but she lets it slide.

She hides her disappointment, just like she hides her concern about Chloe’s mental health. They haven’t talked about their fight, or about Chloe’s future since, managing to dance around the palpable tension hanging between the two of them for the past week.

The brunette has the time of her life in LA. She meets important people and producers and is complimented about her talent everywhere she goes.

Her mind doesn’t drift from her girlfriend, who remained on the East coast. They call each other every night, and text throughout the day. When Chloe tells her how proud she is, Beca feels like her avail is the only thing that matters.

She’s supposed to get back on Wednesday but managed to have her assistant move up an appointment to catch a plane mid-day on Tuesday.

She arrives at JFK around seven pm, grabs a cab to Brooklyn, stops on the way to get take-out and a bouquet of flowers, and walks the remaining two blocks to their apartment building.

Sliding the key into the lock, Beca opens the door gently and takes in her surroundings. The kitchen and living room are mostly dark, save from the street lamp light filtering through the window. Beca frowns and shuts the door with her elbow, setting her keys on the counter.

“Chlo?”

Placing the bouquet and food containers on the table, Beca then slips off her shoes and chases away the darkness by hitting the light switch. She moves down the hall, towards the thread of light escaping from the space between the bathroom door and the floor.

A faint whimper makes her step falter. Red flags go off in Beca’s head; something is not right.

She pads the rest of the way to the door and knocks with the utmost gentleness as to not frighten Chloe, who isn’t expecting her until tomorrow. “Chlo? Are you okay?”

“Bec?” There’s a definite waver to Chloe’s voice that make Beca’s insides churn unpleasantly. The short woman swallows, resting her hand on the door. There’s a clatter, a shuffle and a curse. “I, uh, I’ll be right out.”

“Are you okay?” Beca finds herself asking. Despite the insistent voice in her head, she doesn’t want to intrude on her girlfriend’s privacy without permission. “Can I come in?”

“I’ll be right out.”

Beca opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out. She stands there, torn between respecting Chloe’s wishes and giving in to her gut instinct.

“I’m coming in,” she announces, curling her hand around the knob and pushing the door open wide enough to slide into the room. The sight that greets her is something she wishes she would never witness, but her eyes are not failing her. “Chlo…”

Chloe is sat against the bathtub, in just a T-shirt and shorts, her hair messily pulled up in a bun. Tear tracks draw vertical lines down her cheeks as she glances up at Beca, mouth open as if to say something, but no sound comes out.

Beca finds it impossible to blink away from the crimson marks on her girlfriend’s arms, their deep color a stark contrast to Chloe’s fair skin. Beca attempts to swallow the sick taste in her mouth and blinks.

“I-I’m sorry.”

The brunette snaps out of her daze to meet Chloe’s bloodshot eyes. She bolts into action, dropping to her knees beside the redhead.

“It’s okay,” Beca whispers, tenderly cupping Chloe’s face with both hands, forcing her to look at her. The look in Chloe’s eyes is one that Beca has never seen before.

She knows Chloe like the back of her hand. But that look is hollow and apathetic, foreign when it comes to Chloe, and it scares the hell out of Beca.

“You’re _okay_.” She insists, stroking her thumb along Chloe’s cheekbone. Chloe leans into her touch, giving in to a sob.

“I didn’t want to,” she lets out, voice cracking under the emotion and squeezing Beca’s heart in the process. “The-the voices just wouldn’t _stop_.”

The pain that’s slowly sinking inside Beca’s chest makes it difficult for her to breathe. A chip of her heart is being torn with each tear that falls down her girlfriend’s cheek, and soon she realizes she’s crying, too.

“It’s okay,” Beca repeats, to herself this time, willing her voice to remain strong. “It’s, it’s a relapse, it happens.”

Carefully, Beca takes the bloody razor blade off the tile floor, throwing it into the nearby bin while making a note to herself to take the bag out afterwards. She rises to her feet and rummages through cupboards for some gauze and disinfectant.

Chloe has grown quiet, gaze blank and locked on her knees, which she drew up to her chest, while her injured arms remain limp by her sides. Beca resumes to her spot next to her, grasping one of Chloe’s wrist tenderly.

She opens the pack of gauzes and pours some alcohol onto it, gently dabbing Chloe’s superficial wounds with it. She winces herself at the sting it must cause, but Chloe doesn’t show any signs of pain.

And that’s what shakes Beca to the core. Chloe seems numb, unresponsive, washed-away.

“Okay,” she says, more to herself, once she’s done with her task. She disposes of the gauze and kneels back in front of Chloe, grasping her hand and seeking her eyes. “Chloe? Talk to me?”

“I’m messed up,” Chloe replies quietly, blinking for the first time in a while.

“No,” Beca immediately tells her, holding Chloe’s face once more between her hands to make sure Chloe’s eyes meet hers. “Don’t say that. You are far from messed up. You’re just going through a dark time and it triggered something within you. It’ll get better.”

Chloe’s head shakes relentlessly, ripping her gaze from Beca’s. “I just want it to _stop_.”

Beca feels her own eyes widen. Chloe’s heavy words reverberate against her skull endlessly, making her head swim with possible scenarios as to what Chloe can possibly mean by that.

She clears her throat, trying to clear her vision from another round of tears. “What do you mean?”

“The pain inside, I want it to stop.” Chloe’s voice is so small, but it still holds enough power to alter Beca’s breathing. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Chloe,” Beca’s voice breaks for the first time as it sticks to her throat. Those tears finally topple over the rim of her eyes, dripping down her chin.  “You’re _scaring_ me.”

She wishes in that instant she had never left, that she had taken the time to see the signs, that she hadn’t let her selfishness and miff alter her better judgement. Chloe must sense her distress and brings a hand up to circle her fingers around Beca’s wrist.

“I’m not-” she pauses, throat bobbing up and down in a difficult swallow. “I would never do what I think you’re thinking. I just… I think I need help.”

“Okay,” Beca nods several times, welcoming the needed gush of air into her lungs. “We’ll seek help. Starting tomorrow.”

Chloe’s nod is faint, but it’s there. “Okay.”

Eventually, Beca helps Chloe off the floor and they move to the living room, hands remaining linked. Chloe smiles upon seeing the flowers, and kisses Beca’s cheek in wordless gratitude, briefly leaning into her body.

They retreat to bed shortly after dinner, side by side, facing one another.

“Was it-” Beca’s voice cuts into the silence. As much as she wants to let it rest; she _can’t_. She has to make sure Chloe won’t do anything reckless. She pauses, wracking her brain for the right words. “Was it the first time you hurt herself? Or have you been doing it again and I haven’t noticed?”

“No, it was the first time in years,” Chloe tells her quickly, lightening the weight of guilt over Beca’s shoulders. “I had a panic attack today and I couldn’t get out of it on my own, so I cut.”

“I shouldn’t have left,” Beca grits her teeth, angry at herself for ignoring the signs. “I’m so sorry.”

“Beca,” Chloe says softly, tugging on the back of Beca’s neck gently, until their foreheads meet. Beca momentarily loses herself in the sea of blues staring back at her. “Don’t blame yourself, _please_. It’s not your fault. It-it always has a way of sneaking up on me when I’m not looking.”

“How can I help?” Beca says, desperation leaking in her tone. She grips Chloe’s hand, kissing her palm, her pulse point and down her forearm, over fresh and old scars. She registers the shaky breath Chloe takes, and looks up. “Tell me how I can help.”

“Tell me about LA,” Chloe’s request surprises Beca. She meant on the long-term, but nods anyway. Anything to help her girlfriend somehow sounds right. “I like the sound of your voice. It drowns out the others.”

So Beca tells her about LA, about meeting some of her own idols, working with different producers, and signing her first autograph ever to a young fan.

“I’ve missed you, though,” Beca says quietly after a while, rubbing her nose against Chloe’s. “I don’t like being apart from you for so long.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Chloe echoes immediately, not a doubt in her tone. “I’ll come with you next time.”

Beca smiles, pressing her lips to Chloe’s briefly. “I’ll hold you to that.”

She knows she should end tonight on a good note, but she can’t keep her mind from drifting back to what she witnessed today, and she can’t chase away Chloe’s words from haunting her brain.

“Will you, will you promise me to talk to me first whenever you feel like…” Beca attempts to fight the nausea unraveling in her stomach at the mere thought of it. She can’t bring herself to say the word aloud. She wants to fix Chloe and take her pain away. Her Chloe, the kindest, sweetest soul being eaten at by demons she doesn’t deserve. “hurting yourself?”

“I-I don’t want to be a burden, Beca. You already have a lot go-”

“And I can’t watch you do this to yourself without reacting, Chloe,” The brunette shuffles closer, until she’s pressed flush against Chloe’s body. Until she can’t possibly lie closer. Her arm snakes around Chloe’s waist, fingers dipping under Chloe’s shirt to trace soothing, patient circles over the small of her back. “You’re too important to me.”

A sob wretches itself from Chloe’s throat then, the walls she had surrounded herself with crumbling to ashes. “I don’t deserve you.”

Beca blinks in shock. She tightens her hold on her girlfriend, burying her face into the crook of her neck.

“Do you not realize how many times I’ve told myself the exact same thing about you?” Beca wonders out loud, pulling away enough to lock eyes with Chloe. She leans in, kissing the first bit of exposed skin she can find sticking out from Chloe’s shirt.

“You are more than anything I have ever hoped for,” her lips trail up, ascending Chloe’s neck and nipping lovingly at the skin. “And I’m so, _so_ grateful to have you in my life, as should everyone that does. But _I_ , am the luckiest of them all, because I get to come home to you every night,” she kisses Chloe’s chin and both cheeks. “I get to kiss you,” she resumes, lips ghosting over Chloe’s nose and forehead. “I get to love you every day,” Drifting back down, Beca trails a series of kisses down Chloe’s neck and covered chest. “I get to love this body and soul.”

She rests her forehead against Chloe’s chest, enjoying the way Chloe’s heart beats against her skin.

“And I get to marry you someday.” Beca hears Chloe’s breathing itch and pulls back slightly to be able to look at her. She smiles fondly at Chloe’s dumbfounded expression. “Right?”

Chloe nods, eyes misty with, Beca hopes, happy tears. “Definitely.”

Beca’s grin widens as she reaches up to brush a strand of hair back from Chloe’s face, fingers ghosting over Chloe’s jaw.

“So believe me when I tell you,” Beca emphasizes her words by capturing Chloe’s lips in a deep, slow kiss that hopefully translates every bit and pieces of the indescribable love she holds for the redhead. “That _I’m_ the lucky one.”

/

Chloe gets a job a few weeks later as a marketing consultant for a clothing brand based in NYC. It takes three different interviews, but in the end, she’s chosen out of a list of thirty applicants.

Beca doesn’t know until she walks through the door that same evening. She’s almost tackled into a hug the second she steps in, arms carrying several grocery bags, which unceremoniously end up on the floor for her to be able to return Chloe’s hug eagerly, once the shock has passed.

She laughs at Chloe’s glee, and pulls away lightly, keeping her arms fastened onto the redhead’s waist.

“What’s going on?” she asks, laughter still on the tip of her tongue.

“I got the job!”

“You did!” Beca exclaims, eyebrows hiking to her hairline. Not that she’s surprised; relieved, yes, but not surprised. Chloe is very talented; she just needed to allow some time for other people to see that.

“I got the call half-an-hour ago.”

Beca wastes no time in drawing Chloe into a deep kiss, cupping her face with both hands. Chloe moans in surprise and melts into it.

“I’m so proud of you baby,” Beca whispers, breath ghosting over Chloe’s lips as she slowly backs away. “I think a celebration is in order.”

She lets go of the redhead to reach inside one of the bags, pulling a bottle of champagne with a grin.

“How come you bought champagne?”

“Well, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that you would get the job, so, I prepared.” There is a fond look in Chloe’s eyes that makes Beca blush slightly from the amount of love it brings across. Chloe leans in and they share a loving kiss that leaves Beca light-headed. “It’s not chilled though.”

“I don’t care,” Chloe says, taking the bottle from Beca’s hands. She pops it open, squealing when the liquid overflows, on her hand and the carpet floor, before she quickly lifts the bottle to her mouth and takes a huge gulp.

Beca laughs, wiping her phone out to take a picture. When she’s done drinking, Chloe motions for Beca to tilt her head back and pours some into her mouth. They share a bubbly kiss after that, and Chloe’s giggles make Beca’s heart sing.

They celebrate until the early hours of the morning, just the two of them, in the cozy home they have created for themselves.

They get married a year and a half later during a small ceremony in a beautiful plantation in Southern California (Beca has relocated in LA for her job and Chloe became store manager for the brand she worked for in NYC), surrounded by their respective families and closest friends.

They share their first dance over Benji’s rendition of _What a Wonderful World,_ and if feels as though as if they are the only two people in the room, away in their own bubble of blissfulness.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, yet?” Beca murmurs as her forehead rests against Chloe while they gently sway to the music.

“Once or twice,” Chloe’s eyes are twinkling, and no matter how many times Beca has looked in them, she still finds herself caught off guard by their intensity. “Have I told you how happy you make me, yet tonight? Not just tonight, but all the time?”

Beca smiles, fingers dancing along Chloe’s back. “I think it did come up in your vows.”

One of Chloe’s hand drifts from where it’s been resting on Beca’s neck to cup her jaw. She tugs Beca into a slow, loving kiss. Parting with a sigh, Chloe keeps her eyes shut for several seconds, as if burning this moment into her mind.

“Well, I am. So happy.”

Beca knows Chloe will probably always struggle with her demons through the tough times, that she will come across other situations to trigger them. But she also knows that Chloe’s love for life is too strong to be altered, and it soothes Beca’s soul.

Today, she took a vow to stick with Chloe through good and bad times, and she intends to keep every bit of that promise.


End file.
